Sleeping garment for infants



Jan. 17, 1961 B. s. DUDLEY 2,968,044

SLEEPING GARMENT FOR INFANTS Filed July 3, 1957 IN VENTOR fleli e Shad/ ATTORNEYS 2,968,044 Pa tented Jan. 1 1951 SLEEPDJG GARMENT FOR INFANTS Bettye S. Dudley, 3826Ingalls A've;, Alexandria, Va.

Filed July 3, 1957, Ser. No. 669,846

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-695) separate front and back panels are formed at sides and bottom by an outwardly extending gusset, the latter terminating at the sides at a distance from the contractible top margin of the garment, placket openings being thus formed of which the upper ends of the gussets form transverse expansible lower sides, so that While the plackets may normally lie closed, they open freely for the insertion of the hand, without forcing, so that the mother can explore the inside of the garment without waking the baby, to ascertain whether the diaper needs changing.

Another object of the invention'is to provide a sleeping garment comprising separate front and rear panels united by a gusset piece which is stitched about the sides and bottom of said panels, terminating short of the top at both sides, and lying outwardly with respect thereto, the seams formed by the stitching forming a relatively stiff barrier, to inhibit the irregular contour which distension of the garment by the body and legs of the baby imparts to the panels, from extending into the gussets, so that the latter form open conduits, uninterrupted, for the most part, by folds or constrictions, which function to ventilate the garment, preventing overheating, as well as providing an avenue for escape of the irritating vapors which ordinarily surround the confined portion of the child.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a practical embodiment of the invention unfolds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the following specification, and in the several figures of which the same reference characters denote identical parts:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the sleeping garment which embodies the principles of the present in-' vention;

. Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, in flat unoccupied condition;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, in perspective, particularly illustrating the construction of the placket open- 111g;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the free flap of one panel turned down, to give access to the diaper.

Referring now to a description in detail of the drawing, the sleeping garment 1, as illustrated, consists of con gruent front and back panels 2 and 3, having parallel sides and a substantially flat bottom. The upper ends of the panels are stitched to form tubular hems 4. The

panels are joined by means ofa'gusset piece 5-, theedge's of which are stitched peripherally to the respective panels, tefminating at its ends 6 at a suitable distance below the hems 4 to provide placket openings 7. The gusset piece extends continuously about'the sides and bottom of the panels, the material being slightly gathered about the curved lower cornersof the panels. The seams 8 which unite the gusset piece are preferably double stitched, generally known as a French seam, and are on-the inside: of the garment. They are made of substantial'width for a purpose that will be explained; The gusset piece extends'outwardly from the panels all around. It provides toe room at the bottom of the garment and gussets 9 'at each side, the upper end edges of'which constitute the lower'expansible edges 10 of the placket openings 7.

The garment may be made of any desired material, suitable for summer: or winter, and the gusset piece may. if desired, be made of different material from the panels. It is obvious that the garment is inherently fiat, which facilitates washing and pressing. The creasing of the gussets by ironing causes them to open dihedrally, when distended, as suggested in Figure 3, which results in some advantage in the operation of the invention, but this is not essential.

Independent tie tapes 11 pass freely through the tubular hems 4, upon which the upper margins of the front and back panels are gathered, and by means of which the top of the garment is drawn up snugly about the body of the baby at the waist. The garment is sized to allow all movements of the enclosed portion of the body and legs without restriction. The placket openings permit the upper part or flap 2 of either panel to be turned down to give access to the diaper for servicing.

By virtue of the linear fullness of the lower placket openings afforded by the expansible edges 10, they freely expand into ample triangular openings responsive to the introduction of the hand therethrough, so that the mother can explore the condition of the diaper without waking the baby. In this respect the placket openings are quite different from conventional plackets which are no more than split seams, and would be relatively diflicultly enter able by the hand when the draw strings are tied. The free-opening property of the placket openings incident to their expansible transverse lower edges also causes them to assume an open position through distension of the garment by the child, providing ventilation, promoting comfort and a vent for the corrosive vapors that attend a wet diaper.

One of the important features of the invention is the relatively heavy peripheral searn 8, previously referred to, which joins the gusset piece 5 to the respective panels. When the garment is occupied, the distension produced by the body and legs of the baby, particularly if the knees are bent and in elevated position, shapes the contour of the panels, or whichever of them is uppermost, into a desultory pat-tern of hills and hollows. The seam 8 which comprises the lapped edge portion of the respective panels and of the gusset is thicker than the panels themselves, therefore tends to stiffen the peripheral margins of the panels, and thereby to suppress the incursion of this irregular pattern into the gussets, which remain as open channels, relatively unobstructed by folds or other irregularities, functioning as ventilating con duits at the bottom of the garment as well as at the sides, vented through the freely open plackets 7.

It will be readily understood from the above description that I have devised a sleeping garment of no 'el construction attended by new and advantageous functions that enhance its usefulness with respect to the comfort and hygienic care of the baby, as well as facility in servicing it. on the part of the parent. It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described a practical embodiment of the invention, the specific details disclosed are by way of example, and not to be considered as necessarily limiting the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

Infants sleeping garment comprising congruent front and back panels having transverse upper ends, a dihedrally folded ventilating gusset of substantially uniform width extending outwardly from said panels and continuously about the bottom and sides of said panels, a seam uniting the longitudinal edges of the sides of said gusset respectively to the adjacent edges of the corresponding panels throughout the length of said gusset, the length of said panels being so related to the size of the infant whom the garment is designed to fit that the upper ends of said panels extend to a position below the armpits of the infant, said gusset terminating in transverse open ends at a distance below the upper edges of said panels, at both sides, said panels being open at their lateral edges from their upper ends to the open ends of said gusset, the portions of said panels above the open ends of said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,239,017 Roberts Apr. 22, 1941 2,498,055 Veit Feb. 21, 1950 2,625,695 Nicholson Jan. 20, 1953 2,644,948 Gutmann July 14, 1953 2,652,052 Smith Sept. 15, 1953 2,702,385 Goldberg Feb. 22, 1955 

